Signage Training – CORRECTION: Dec. 4

snowmobile-trail-signage

 

Who would have thought we would have this much snow stay on the ground this early in the year. I hope it stays until April. I had my first ride but didn’t get out of the yard.

Our Signage Training Course is being presented on December 4, 2018 at 6:00 prior to the regular Board Meeting at the Community Centre in Kinburn. If you haven’t volunteered to help sign some of our trails this is an excellent opportunity to find out what it’s all about!

Don’t forget that OFSC requires that all Trail Coordinators receive Signage Training at least every 3 years. There are a number of new people on the list this year that require training and others that need a refresher course. I hope to see you there.

 Also we have lost a few people this year and are looking for Trail Coordinators for the following sections.

A trail

Arnprior dam to RR29

W16

W11 to Galetta Rd

W16

Cannon Smith to Torbolton Ridge

W16

Torbolton Ridge to Buckrams Bay

W311S

CP rail Pakenham to Arnprior

 

If you have friends who snowmobile and would volunteer to help on one of these sections please let me know.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated by the Board of Directors and enjoyed by our club members. I thank you for your assistance.

 

Paul McDonald

Trails are not open yet! Please stay off of them.

Keep sleds parked

Groomers have started pre-season packing of West Carleton trails, and this cold weather is really helping to firm up our waterways and swamps. We need a little more snow, and things are starting to look good for a start to a great season very soon but TRAILS ARE STILL NOT OPEN.

There are various reasons, whether it be our landowners not able to open gates (yes livestock can still be out in the fields at this time of year). And there is still not enough dense snow in most areas which, as you may be hearing in the news is a serious safety issue. Club volunteers want the trails open as much as anyone, as we are all sledders too, but this takes a combination of the right snow/safety conditions and permission to open gates on our land owners properties. Trail patrol is now patrolling trails and with new legislation in place, trespassers can now be fined up to $10,000 for trespassing and riding on unopened trails. This is serious stuff.

Please, everyone remember that trying to get that jump on the season before trails are open risks it for all of us. We have lost some valuable links on local trails yet again this season and have had to significantly increase road running because of the few sledders who think that just one run on an opened trail does not matter. It does. Just one sled wandering where it shouldn’t be can result in a trail becoming a permanent dead end – and we can’t blame our landowners for trying to protect their crops, property and livelihood.

On a lighter note, West Carleton has some exciting new trails being opened this season, like rail bridges in Pakenham and Arnprior on the W311 and the A trail. It has taken thousands of hours and working with the goodwill of the public, towns and municipalities to get us, the sledders, access to these. These routes are being opened on a trial basis and access to these areas can still be revoked by riding on them now, before official opening.

It’s going to be a great year if people can please, PLEASE keep the sleds parked until they show “Available” on the Interactive Trail Guide. And if you know that person that still insists on trespassing on unopened trails – put some pressure on them – they are messing with all that money you have invested riding this year.

Wait for it… wait for it….

Keep sleds parked

Another awesome dump of snow last night and today and in the distance I think I hear groomers starting to warm up for some pre-season packing. Hopefully a good cold snap will also help our waterways and swamps, which are still far from being safe. But things are looking great!

Please, everyone remember that trying to get that jump on the season before trails are open risks it for all of us. We have lost some valuable links on local trails this season and have been working hard to find suitable reroutes. One sled wandering where it shouldn’t be can result in a trail becoming a permanent dead end – and we can’t blame our landowners for trying to protect their crops, property and livelihood.

On a lighter note, West Carleton has some exciting new trails being opened this season, like the W311 – the rail bed linking us from Arnprior, through Pakenham, Almonte, Blakeney and continuing on in the BEAST as #311. Huge thanks to the families who went out and brushed and put up the signs!

It’s going to be a great year if people can please, PLEASE keep the sleds parked until they show “Available” on the Interactive Trail Guide. And if you know that person that still insists on trespassing on unopened trails – put some pressure on them – they are messing with all that money you have invested riding this year.

Adding Rail Line to West Carleton Trails!

rail-linesIts OFFICIAL, the West Carleton Snowmobile Club will be using two sections of the old rail line between Arnprior and Blakeney this coming sledding season! The club has been in negotiations with Lanark County and they have been finalized for a trial basis this year.

We have been working hard to make sure that all the insurance and other details were in place prior to announcing this, and now trail work can begin. Volunteers will be needed to help prepare and sign these new sections of trail (as well as existing trails).

The Beast has also been granted use of the same rail line from Carleton Place to Smiths Falls.

Details will also be available at our swap meet in Kinburn (October 15). Stay tuned for more information in the near future. Please SHARE to all SNOWMOBILERS that you know.

Your board of directors, working for you!

 

Signage Training Nov. 1, 2016

snowmobile-trail-signage

Sledding is just around the corner and early indicators are pointing toward a great sledding season this year!  In preparation for the installation of trail signage and markers, WCSTA will be holding its annual trail signage course on  November 1, 2016, 6:00-7:00 PM in the Conference Room* at the Kinburn Community Centre.  Correct signage is the cornerstone of the club’s risk management program and critical to safe sledding on our trails.  The trails cannot be opened until this important work is completed.

If you are new to trail signage this season: a) THANKS for volunteering; and b) please plan to attend this course.  Note that preparing the trails depends entirely on volunteers like you.  If you just want to help out but aren’t sure where to start, feel free to come to the training and we will happily pair you up with an experienced installer.

If you cannot make this training, or have any questions contact the director responsible for risk management at safesledding@wcstai.com

*The conference room is located at the southwest end of the building (closest to the soccer fields).  It is NOT the room near the bar nor the large hall.

New A trail signing work party – Saturday Dec. 5th

trail-brushing-blakeney

When: Saturday Dec. 5 at 11:00am – 2:00pm
Where: Timmins Road 1 KM off Kinburn Side Road (near Pakenham)

Hello Sledders.

We need some help putting trail signs up on our brand new A trails that was just cut. Amazing new section of trail. Come out and help for 2-3 hours. Meet at Timmins Road just off Kinburn Side Road. We will send one group around to Rock Coady Trail to start at the other end after we meet up. We will have all supplies.

Come and walk the new trail !

Four wheelers and walking in will work great, a little bit of mud at Timmins entrance but great at the other end.

Bring cordless drill with robertson bit. Some water on trail so wear rubber boots.

Thanks 🙂 Scott

 

Trail signage course announced:  Nov 10, 2015

snowmobile-trail-signageSledding is just around the corner.  In preparation for the installation of trail signage and markers, the WCSTAI will be holding its annual trail signage course on  November 10, 2015, 6:30-7:30 PM in the Conference Room* at the Kinburn Community Centre.  Correct signage is the cornerstone of the clubs risk management program and critical to safe sledding on our trails.  The trails cannot be opened until this important work is completed.

If you are new to trail signage this season: a) THANKS for volunteering; and b) please plan to attend this course.  Note that preparing the trails depends entirely on volunteers like you.  If you just want to help out but aren’t sure where to start, feel free to come to the training and we will happily pair you up with an experienced installer.

If you cannot make this training, or have any questions contact the director responsible for risk management at safesledding@wcstai.com

*The conference room is located at the southwest end of the building (closest to the soccer fields).  It is NOT the room near the bar nor the large hall.

November Club Meeting – Tuesday Nov. 3rd

volunteers brushing trailsPlease join us at the West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association November club meeting – to be held tomorrow – Tuesday Nov 3rd, 7:30pm, in the board room at the Kinburn Community Centre (doors to the left of the main entrance).

The club is currently looking for volunteer coordinators, people to help with brushing and signage and other volunteer positions. Have any special skills that you might be willing to share to help make our club, our trails and our events even better? Please come and introduce yourself at a meeting, or  contact us.

Signage and pre-season trail work will be key topics at this meeting. If you are one of the many people who adopted a section of trail last spring, or if you would like to find out how you can help get our trails ready for the upcoming season we encourage you to join us. We hope to see you there!

Advertise your business on WCSTA and OFSC maps!

wcsta-maps-in-holders

Now until Nov. 15 businesses have the opportunity to promote themselves and support our local sledding community by advertising with West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association and OFSC.  Get your ad on our 2015-2016 Trail Guide, a sign along local trails, or advertise online across the province as a point of interest on the OFSC Interactive Trail Guide!

Snowmobilers love to support businesses that support them, and in the 2013-2014 season it is estimated that expenditures of snowmobilers in Ontario were upwards of 850 million dollars.

Opportunities to advertise for the 2015-16 season start as low as $75, but ad space for the maps will fill up fast so book your spot now!  Remember, all ad and Point of Interest (POI) submissions  must be received no later than Nov. 15, or while space lasts.

wcsta-map-ads-2014-15

For more information and rates, please contact us below. 

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New WCSTA Wayfinding Billboards Start to Go Up

WCSTA Wayfinding BillboardsSince last summer WCSTA board members and volunteers have been working hard to develop a series of nine brand new way finding billboards to be placed in key locations around West Carleton. With the help of Ontario Ministry of Tourism, OFSC and our friends at District 1, we now have all nine of these, ready to be put in place on West Carleton trails. In addition, the District 1 Tourism Development Fund Committee allowed WCSTA and our graphic design partner, Pivot Point Solutions, to spearhead a pilot project with unique, club-branded billboard designs.

These are also designed to accept interchangeable map panels that can be updated when changes to our trail system need to occur. Three different images have been used on the billboards as well to keep them interesting from location to location. You won’t find ones that look like these anywhere else!

We still have a fair bit of work to do, to complete the building of structures and get the billboards into place on the trails, and we are looking for volunteers to spearhead small teams to get them installed, as well as folks with some basic woodworking skills to build the structures. If you are able to help, please contact us at volunteer@wcstai.com.

Special thanks to Mike Asquini, Ted Kelly, Ron Anderchek, John Boals, and Neil Murphy for their hard work and support of this project!

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